INVESTIGATION, DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
Something isn't quite right
Off his food. Coughing. Lost condition. Lame behind. Dull in herself. Drinking more than usual. You know your horse, and when something changes you notice it long before anyone else would. That's worth a phone call. You don't need to prove it first.
The things owners tell us
Almost every investigation starts with a sentence like one of these. None of them is too vague to act on.
Teeth, worms, gut, or something else
"He's lost weight"
Not pleasant for us. Not pleasant for a horse
"She's coughing"
"He's drinking more than usual"
Always worth investigating
Skin, allergy, parasites. We need to look.
"She's itching herself raw
Get this looked at sooner rather than later
"There's a lump that wasn't there"
Behaviour is closely linked to pain
"She's grumpy to tack up"
"He's short on the right rein"
Could be a sign of lameness
Can point to a lot of different issues.
"His coat looks dull"
Trust yourself. Ring us.
"Something just feels off"
What actually happens
An investigation is a process of elimination, not a single test. We start simply, and only go further if we need to - and we believe it's in your horse's best interest.
1
2
We listen
We examine
3
4
We test
We agree a plan
What changed, and when. You've been watching this horse for years — that history is the most useful thing we get.
A full clinical examination: heart, lungs, gut, mouth, skin, eyes, and how they move.
Bloods, samples, x-ray, ultrasound, a scope, or nerve blocks — whichever the examination points us towards.
What we found, what it means, what it will cost, and what happens if we do nothing.
What we investigate
Weight, appetite and the older horse
The commonest reason owners ring us, and rarely one single cause.
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Weight loss investigation
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Poor appetite or quidding
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Cushing's (PPID) testing
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Equine metabolic syndrome and insulin
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Liver and gut investigation
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Veteran health assessment
Lameness and movement
From an obvious limp to a horse who simply isn't going as he did
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Lameness examination, flexion and lunge
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Ridden assessment
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Nerve and joint blocks
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Back, pelvis and kissing spines
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Laminitis and foot pain
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Poor performance investigation
Coughing, breathing and the gut
From a cough at the start of work to a persistent, recurring colic
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Respiratory investigation and equine asthma
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Airway endoscopy
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Gastroscopy for stomach ulcers
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Recurrent or low-grade colic
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Diarrhoea and weight loss
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Sinus and nasal discharge investigation
Skin, eyes, lumps and behaviour
The things you notice grooming, and the changes no-one else would spot
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Skin disease, itching and sweet itch
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Sarcoids and lumps
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Eye examination and recurrent uveitis
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Wounds that won't heal
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Headshaking investigation
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Behaviour change and pain assessmen
What we can do at your yard
Most of an investigation happens where your horse lives. No box, no travelling, no waiting for an appointment at a hospital.
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Blood sampling and full profiles
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Digital radiography
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Ultrasound — limbs, abdomen, chest
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Gastroscopy
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Airway endoscopy
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Nerve and joint blocks
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Skin scrapes and biopsies
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Faecal and worm testing
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Cushing's and insulin testing
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Eye examination and staining
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ECG and heart assessment
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Joint medication and treatment
What we'd need to refer
MRI, CT and bone scans need a hospital, and so does some surgery. We'll say so early rather than late, help you choose where to go, and send everything we've already found so you're not paying twice to start again.
Knowing the limits of a field is part of doing this properly.